LSP eliminates DNA backlog at B.R. lab

The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory has eliminated its long-held DNA case backlog, and the DNA unit is now operating in real-time to assist law enforcement agencies across the state in tracking down criminals, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced today. When Jindal entered office in 2008, the DNA backlog stood at 1,200 cases. In 2009, the rate of case requests being submitted to the crime lab continued to exceed the laboratory’s capacity to report cases and to provide real-time support during the initial investigational phase of a case. The lab saw a 41% increase from 2008 to 2009 in the number of DNA requests submitted; it was not able to keep up with the increasing rate of requests, and the DNA unit’s backlog stood at over 1,400 cases in 2009. To eliminate the backlog, the crime lab instituted a reduction plan in 2009 that adopted management practices often found in the private sector to increase production. The lab was also expanded by 23,500 square feet of space to facilitate increased DNA analysis in 2009. At that time, the DNA unit took a year or more on average to provide a case report. Now, a case report is provided within an average of 20 days.